Fire officials peg damages at $100,000 after one of two suspicious fire destroyed the front of an affordable housing unit in London’s west end.
Crews were called to reports of a fence fire at 1481 Limberlost Road on Tuesday around 5 a.m. Upon arrival, they discovered mattresses burning in one yard and the front of another unit nearby also in flames.
The London Fire Department’s deputy fire Chief Jack Burt said the fire that caused “extensive damage” started at a front door before spreading inside. Smoke damage reaches all the way up to the unit’s attic, he said.
The $100,000 damage estimate applies to the one unit; the mattresses that fire crews were originally called about were “going in the garbage” and therefore the loss was minimal, said Burt.
Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal was called in to investigate both fires. Burt said Wednesday morning the fire marshal’s examination of the scene is complete, and the property has been turned back over to the London Middlesex Housing Corporation.
Josh Brown, the CEO of the London Middlesex Housing Corporation said they’ve been working with Canadian Red Cross to find accommodations for the single family displaced by the blaze, and a couple of other families temporarily impacted by the fire marshal’s investigation.
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“They were safe and accommodated for the night,” he said.
“This is not the first time we’ve had to deal with fires, and certainly won’t be the last. So we do have protocols in place to make sure, from our perspective, tenants are safe and supported through these difficult times.”
Brown is emphasizing the importance of tenants insurance, and working smoke detectors.
“What we know is that it was possible, if the fire was located in a different area, there could have been more damage… people could have gotten hurt.”
Though the fire marshal has release the scene, London police say their investigation continues. They’re appealing to witnesses to call them at 519-661-5670, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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